Burn Hugh Gorman was born in Hollywood, California in the year 1974 but his family moved to London when he was seven years old.  He then spent most of his growing up years in the United Kingdom.

In theater productions, Burn Gorman performed in plays Lady Bird at the Royal Court, Flush at Soho Theater and The Green Man and Gong Donkeys at the Bush Theater.  His work at the Contact Theater earned him a Manchester Evening News Best Newcomer award nomination.  He is currently busy with his work as an artistic director for The Fold, a performance and production company.  Burn also co-founded Drool Skool, a hip-hop outlet.

In 1998, he was cast as Ben Andrews on the British soap opera Coronation Street.  This was followed by several other TV show appearances on Mersey Beat, Bleak House, Low Winter Sun, Funland and A Good Thief to name a few.

His big screen credits include playing Podorov in the crime thriller film adaptation of The Oxford Murders, which also starred Elijah Wood and John Hurt.  He was also seen as an elf in Fred Claus, a fantasy/comedy movie starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin Spacey.  Among his other films are The Best Man, Penelope, Layer Cake and Love Is Not Enough.  Burn also appeared in short films The Bully Boys and Runners.

His wife Sarah is a teacher and, together, they have a son named Max Hugh Gorman.

Dr. Owen Harper is played by Burn Gorman on BBC's Torchwood, a sci-fi TV drama series.  The show focuses on the machinations and activities of Torchwood Institutes' Cardiff Branch.  The branch works mainly on research on extraterrestrials.  Harper, a trained doctor, is a womanizer and uses his aphrodisiac spray to entice women into having sexual relations with him.  He is a genius, and his ambition is to become a successful surgeon in the future.  He works at the Cardiff A & E and is recruited to join Torchwood.

(Image courtesy of BBC America)